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IBC 13 revamps its weekend
Posted on January 8, 2019 AS PART of its efforts to attract audiences and increase its viewership, the new Avellana-led IBC 13 has decided to completely revamp its primetime programming during the weekends by launching seven new shows. IBC 13’s new lineup hosts (from left): Robin Padilla, Sarah Geronimo, Joey de Leon and Kris Aquino, Joyce Abestano (school uniform), Joe D'Mango Under the current leadership of Katherine Chloe "Kat" S. de Castro as the president and IBC, and Wilma V. Galvante as chief entertainment content officer, the "Kaibigan" network is set to air these new programs starting this weekend. Under the tagline Weekend ng Bayan, three legendary programs every Saturday, starting with the new season of the phenomenal curriculum-based sitcom Iskul Bukol: Eskwela Ko, Kaibigan Mo topbilled by Joyce Abestano as the cute and sassy high school girl of Diliman High School at 7 p.m., focus on the hilarious high school story on the public high school setting - Diliman High School with DepEd permit, plus a new batch of classmates for more fun and excting learners and lessons. It will be followed by the gag show T.O.D.A.S. at 7 p.m. with ace coemdian Joey de Leon meets the Queen of All Media Kris Aquino, and the drama anthology Love Notes with Joe D'Mango at 9 p.m. featuring the weekly love stories through letter senders. Another batch of four programs will begin airing Sunday night, beginning with the much-anticipated 44th season of the PBA, dubbed as the 2019 Honda Click PBA Philippine Cup, which is set to kick-off with the PBA Leo Awards for the 2017-18 season at 2 p.m. before the opening ceremonies at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan at 2:30 p.m. and the first game between the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the TNT KaTropa will be played at 4:30 p.m. The doubleheader games will be airing every Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. This will be followed at 7:15 p.m. with Robin Padilla's reality talent show Talent ng Bayan, then the live premiere telecast of the musical variety show Sarah G. Live featuring Sarah Geronimo at 8:15 p.m., and the return of the Asia's mixed-martial arts (MMA) show ONE Championship at 9:15 p.m. To complement the weekend line-up is Express Balita Weekend anchored by Czarinah Lusuegro and Jess Caduco every Saturday at 10 p.m. and every Sunday at 10:15 p.m. and the documentary-reallity investigative public service program Bitag: The New Generation with Ben Tulfo every Saturday at 10:30 p.m. Weekend movies on IBC 13, led by IBCinema every Saturday at 11:30 p.m. featuring today's hottest local movies, and Sunday's Big Night at 10:45 p.m. featuring the hottest Filipino-dubbed Hollywood movies. "People deserve to relax and wind down in the weekends, and that is what we are hoping to achieve with these programs," Ms. Castro told reporters last Monday. "I think we have prepared a strong lineup of shows that are both fun and informative," he added. FINANCIAL SLUMP The new weekend shows are the first big programming move that Ms. Castro has implemented since her appointment as IBC president and chief executive officer in October last year. Replacing the former IBC president Lito Ocampo Cruz, Ms. Castro was tasked by IBC head honcho Jose Avellana to turn around the sequestered broadcast network’s financial slump fortunes, mediocre ratings in the competition to sustain a network and attract TV viewers and assembled a team that is going to be able to take advantage of any such opportunity that will allow us to achieve that target. IBC 13 posted a revenue of P13.5-billion as of the first half of 2017. P3.137 billion for an operating income, P2.25 billion for the net income, P12.41 billion for the total assets and P4.974 billion for the total equity. She is the daughter of former Vice President and veteran broadcaster Noli de Castro and TV producer Arlene de Castro. A Communication Arts graduate of Miriam College, de Castro is no stranger to the broadcasting industry. She started her career as a field reporter of ABS-CBN and later on, hosted her own travel show Trip na Trip and business magazine show Swak na Swak. Ms. Castro, who was the Undersecretary of Tourism Advocacy and Public Affairs of the Department of Tourism under the former Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo before she was resigned from her post and transferred to IBC 13, immediately implemented for employees to dominate the third network into the leadership. Malacañang’s appointment on de Castro, first as a board of director then later on as president and CEO, came at a time when IBC is transitioning from its old office in Broadcast City to the new IBC compound in the same area in Capitol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City. In an interview about her appointment, de Castro said, “I am glad to be part of the group that will oversee the privatization of IBC 13.” The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) headed by Secretary Martin Andanar, the overseer of IBC 13, is poised to privatize the network within the year. Due diligence is being undertaken to provide smooth transition and secure all the stakeholders of the company, especially its employees and blocktimers. IBC 13 had increased the launching of new shows for most of the first half of this year to regain its revenue and income and in terms of leadership. Ms. Castro hopes to attract audiences with the new shows. "What we are doing is a counter-programming that will dominate the industry leaders," she told reporters. "It’s about giving the viewers," he added. Ms. Galvante said they evaluated IBC 13’s strengths before they decided to implement changes. "We know that IBC 13 has been strong during the weekends. That is why when we decided to implement programming changes, we prioritized the weekend lineup," she told reporters. Ms. Galvante said that the network will beef up its weeknight primetime programming next month with the launch of another batch of shows led by the revival of the multi-awarded political satire newscast Sic O'Clock News anchored by Brod Pete and Assunta de Rossi.